Post by Jestana on Aug 1, 2004 17:14:15 GMT -5
You and Me
A/N: Yes, I know the title is grammatically incorrect, so sue me. It’s the title of a song that comes from the musical Victor/Victoria, originally starring Julie Andrews. Anyway, that doesn’t belong to me, and neither does anything from the Potterverse. I wrote this because I wanted to try something a little darker than I normally do.
Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk in his office, marking an essay, when a knock disturbed him. Not looking up from the essay he was marking, he called, “Come in.”
The door opened and closed. Brisk footsteps crossed the room. “You asked me to come, Professor?”
“Yes, Minerva.” He glanced up at the young witch with a smile before indicating one of the chairs facing his large desk. “Have a seat.”
He heard her robes rustle as she did so, but he had resumed marking the essay in front of him. For several moments, the room was silent, aside from the rustle of parchment and the occasional scratch of his quill on the parchment. With a flourish, he wrote the student’s score at the top of the essay and set it aside. “Thank you for waiting.”
“You’re welcome, Professor,” Minerva replied as he set his quill aside.
“I’m not your teacher anymore, Minerva,” he reminded her gently, well aware of that fact himself. “I haven’t been for over a year. There’s no need for you to call me Professor when we’re alone together.”
“Yes, Sir.” She nodded; the flickering firelight glinting on the lenses of the square spectacles perched on the bridge of her nose.
Albus stifled a sigh and changed the subject, more for his benefit than hers. “How are you settling in, Minerva?”
“I’m settling in fine, Sir,” she replied with a smile. “Most of the students are well-behaved and respectful.”
“Most?” he asked, raising an auburn eyebrow at her. “Have any of the students been giving you trouble, Minerva?”
“No, Sir,” Minerva answered swiftly, perhaps too swiftly. Albus merely looked at her over the tops of his half-moon glasses. Minerva sighed and relented. “It’s nothing I can’t handle, Sir.”
“Very well.” He decided to drop the subject and they discussed other matters before he sent Minerva off to bed.
After she had gone, Albus leaned back in his chair and, propping his elbows on the arms of it, pressed the tips of his long fingers together, and sat quietly in the dying firelight, just thinking. Minerva McGonagall had finished at Hogwarts over a year before. She had begun to work on the Animagus transformation during her final year at Hogwarts, but had yet to succeed, though it was not for a lack of trying. Albus, who had been working with her on the project, had had to tell her to slow down at times before she hurt herself. After she had left Hogwarts, Minerva had corresponded with Albus on a regular basis, asking questions about the Animagus transformation and other matters. As the months had passed, her frustration with her lack of success had become increasingly evident, prompting Albus to suggest that she come to Hogwarts as the assistant Transfiguration professor so Albus could help her more easily. Minerva had insisted on checking with Armando Dippet, the Headmaster, and the board of school governors, before agreeing to the plan. She had arrived in time for the new school year and now spent her days teaching the younger students and marking assignments. In the evenings, she would meet with Albus for an hour or so to work on the transformation.
Tonight, however, they had agreed to take a break and not even talk about the transformation. It had been refreshing, for both of them. However, her reluctance to speak of difficulties with any of the students troubled him. Something had appeared in her dark green eyes for a moment, gone too quickly for him to read, but the single glimpse had disturbed him nonetheless.
Though he didn’t like to admit it, he considered Minerva to be more than a colleague or student. A friendship had developed between them while Minerva had still been a student and had turned to him for words of comfort and encouragement. He had sent her a letter asking if she would like to attempt the Animagus transformation the summer before her seventh year and she had eagerly accepted. However, when she had arrived that September, Albus had been startled to realize how much the shy eleven-year-old with long black braids had changed when he came face to face with a young woman with a blooming figure that her black school robes couldn’t completely hide.
Although student-teacher relationships were more common than most people thought, Albus was an honorable man and his actions towards his star student had been above reproach. Now that she had returned, as a colleague, he was free to pursue her if he wished to. In spite of this, he was still hesitant to do more than watch her from a distance. He knew she had caught the eye of several male students already, the Head Boy in particular. Albus sighed. He just did not trust Tom Riddle, for some reason. It had nothing to do with the fact that Rubeus Hagrid, who had been expelled the previous year, was like a son to Albus. There was just something too convenient about what had happened last year. Albus suspected that the Acromantula hadn’t killed Myrtle Arden, but he didn’t have any proof. He was content to merely keep a closer watch on Tom Riddle for the time being.
The fire had gone out completely and Albus conceded that it was time to go to bed, not that he was going to be able to get much rest. There was just too much on his mind at this point in time. Getting to his feet, he made his way to his rooms and got ready for bed. Once in bed, it was several long hours before the Transfiguration professor finally slept.
* * *
Minerva had returned to her rooms at her mentor’s request, but sleep eluded her. Albus Dumbledore had been a second father to her since her first year at Hogwarts. Whenever she had turned to him for help or encouragement, he was there for her. He had shared her joys with her and her sorrows. When her parents had died in her seventh year, he had been there to comfort her and talk with her when she needed it. She’d jumped at the chance to attempt the Animagus transformation. She’d been dying to try it since he’d demonstrated his own transformation for the class in her third year. Yet, something had happened during her seventh year. She’d begun to notice him as more than a professor, or even a father. She’d thought nothing of accepting his offer to help her become an Animagus, but her deepening feelings for him had made it increasingly difficult to concentrate on her studies and she suspected that was why she had been unable to transform so far.
Giving a frustrated sigh, she rolled over and stared up at the canopy of her bed. She didn’t know what to do about the situation she’d found herself in. She’d hoped being away from Albus would make it easier for her to master the transformation, but no such luck. When she was away from Albus, all she could think of was her mentor, not the transformation. When she was with him, she was far too aware of him to be able to concentrate properly. Either way, it was a no-win situation. Deciding that sleep was out of the question for the time being, Minerva got up and, pulling on her tartan dressing gown, left her rooms and headed down to the kitchens for a midnight snack. Since she was a professor now (well, almost), there was no need for her to sneak around at night. Sometimes, though, stealth was more advantageous. Minerva never did hear the whispered spell that sent her into the arms of Morpheus.
* * *
To read the rest, go here.
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I love Victor/Victoria, but Sound is my favorite. Ok, I guess I should stop since the reason for this is not to talk about how much I love Julie Andrews. Very good job. Keep it up. I love all your stories.
